The process of composting, wherein organic waste such as fallen leaves, grass clippings, and wet garbage are converted by microorganisms into useful fertilizer or ground filler, has been practiced for many years. Recently, however, municipalities have stepped-up their efforts to encourage composting in an effort to preserve decreasing landfill space. In a typical suburban jurisdiction, yard waste makes up about 20% of landfill space. As a result, many jurisdictions are recognizing the importance of reducing the quantity of yard waste sent to landfills. For example, in Montgomery County, Md. governmental authorities are encouraging homeowners to keep yard waste on their lawns to preserve landfill space and also prevent increased use of that county's composting facilities which are overused. In some parts of South Dakota, Oregon, and Maine disposal of yard wastes in landfills is prohibited. Unfortunately, the general public has heretofore not embraced composting to a sufficient extent to adequately preserve valuable landfill space. The public remains reluctant to adopt composting as an alternative to raking, bagging, and disposing of their leaves and grass as municipal solid waste. There are several reasons for this reluctance. First, most people, in particular suburbanites, are entirely unfamiliar with the composting process as compared to their rural counterparts. Second, many suburbanites are reluctant to place composting apparatus on their property, believing it to be unattractive or foul smelling. Third, and perhaps most important, most people find the task of composting to be time consuming, burdensome and unproductive. A search of the prior art reveals patents disclosing various devices which are stated to be useful for composting. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,469 to Pinder discloses an aerobic composting apparatus which employs a rigid container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,469 to Collinson discloses a biodegradable container for composting, inter alia, yard waste such as grass clippings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,933 to DiBiasi et al. discloses a kit providing a thermally degradable compost bag. Additionally, there is known in the art methods for leaf and yard waste removal comprising nets and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,949 to Staub discloses a netting for catching and collecting leaves. There is also known in the art a fibrous material having fertilizer disposed with the yarns thereof, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,408 to Fisher. There has not, however, been a method or kit which provides an efficient means to simultaneously perform the four functions of yard waste removal, composting, fertilization, and dethatching and thereby encouraging its use by consumers.
In view of the foregoing, there is a great need for a method and apparatus for the composting of leaves, grass clippings and the like which is easy and time-saving and which also serves other functions to an extent that consumers would be motivated to practice composting as an alternative to conventional disposal practices.